Project Beautiful
by CRaZYLoVE71
Summary: "Words can cut deep, Kim. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise." / This is my story for Project Beautiful. It's a late entry - sorry about that.


**#**_**ProjectBeautiful**_

**I know I'm like 3 days late but today is a Sunday. That's gotta mean something?**

**I really need to get my priorities straight...**

**Anyway, this is my story for Project Beautiful. It's the best but it's okay**

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_"But, but why...why didn't you stop?" The man's chocolate eyes sparkled as a glimmer of a tear formed in them._

_The woman locked eyes with him as the light afternoon breeze played with her bangs slightly._

_"I waited. Finn, I waited." She was on the brink of tears. "For someone to come and prove me wrong. For you to come and prove me wrong. That I'm not some freaky, pathetic loser."_

_He shook his head slowly and interrupted. "You're not." He kept his eyes on her._

_She ignored his comment and continued. "But you never came."_

_She moved one step back._

_"I'm here now." He said. And moved one step towards her._

_Her expression turned angry. "Why now? Why not then?" Her voice gradually turned into a shout._

_He was silent, his breathing getting hitched in his throat and becoming irregular._

_She laughed bitterly. "Back when I still thought I had a chance."_

_"I'm here now." He simply repeated._

_She stepped back again. She was on the edge._

_"Now is too late Finn." She said, her face now blank._

_"But..." He hesitated, "I love you."_

_A single tear ran down her face. "Don't you understand!" She then switched to a whisper. "You never did."_

_And with that she took the last step. Her last step._

_Finn ran to her. "MELISSA!" He yelled._

_After that everything happened in slow motion. The chaotic gathering of passersby. The arrival of the ambulance. The devastated looks of the paramedics when they carried her into their neon medical van. The salt water tears that rolled down his cheek_.

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I walked out of the movie theatre. Broad daylight blinded my vision for a couple of seconds.

_She jumped. Because of bullying?_

_Wow._

The film I had just watched was on my mind. Usually, I'd watch a rom-com of some sort. But had something compelled me to choose something different.

_I never really thought bullying was that serious. I guess I'm one of the lucky ones._

I found my way to a nearby park and sat on one of the swings. I pushed forward and backwards a little, with the toes on my right foot pressed on the ground.

_I've never been bullied in my life._

Two girls, both about six years old, raced into the park. The ran to the jungle gym and started playing around in it.

_I sure hope they're as lucky as me._

I got up and walked out of the park. They'd probably want to go on the swing set next. Putting in my Hello Kitty earbuds - plugged into my phone - I walked towards the pier.

_Winter has come back again_

_Feels like the season won't end_

_My faith is tired tonight,_

_And I won't try to pretend,_

_I've got it all figured out,_

_That I don't have any doubts,_

_I've got a busted heart_

_I need You now_

_Yeah I need You now_

Suddenly, a hand rested itself on my shoulders. Startled, I look up to see two brown eyes. I took out my earbuds.

"What are you doing out here?" He asked.

I shrugged. I had been standing there for a while now, just looking out to sea.

"I went to see a movie then came out here." I paused. "What about you?"

He sat down and looked ahead. I sat down next to him.

"Kim...have you ever seen a tough guy cry?"

I shook my head. He probably didn't see it.

"I have." He replied to my unspoken words.

There was silence for a few moments.

"'Sticks and stones may break your bones but words will never hurt you'. They've repeated that idiom for generation." He continued.

I looked at his face contorted with a mixture of calmness, sadness and anger alike.

He turned to me. "Words can cut deep, Kim. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

I smiled a little. "That was out of character. Being solemn isn't usually your thing." I said, in an effort to lift our spirit slightly.

He chuckled. "I told you, Kim. I'm the total package; I can be sensitive if I want to."

We laughed. Then we were quiet. If not for the gentle splashing of the waves, silence would have been eminent.

Jack looked back into the ocean.

"He was crying, Kim." He whispered.

"Only real men cry." I replied. Jack nodded.

"For years he kept it in, bottled it up. He thought the wounds would heal if he kept it in." Jack paused again. "He never let his guard down. He built up walls."

He stopped and looked down. "Those walls crumbled today."

There was quiet, almost silence.

"Weren't you supposed to have extra practice today." I asked.

"Yeah. That's how to saw him." He seemed to be doing quite a bit of pausing. "He was behind a dumpster. Crying."

"I guess that makes you think." I said.

He looked at me. "What do you mean?"

"...What if that was you? Or me? Or our friends? What if we weren't the lucky ones?" I continued.

He nodded. "I know what you mean."

There seemed to be a lot of quiet moments today.

"Let's promise each other something." He said.

"What?" We turned to face each other.

"No matter what happens, let's never hurt anyone like that. It's not much but," He paused, "it's the least we can do."

"I promise."

"I promise."

I smiled for a few moments. Then I looked out to the sea again. "What about him?"

He knew who I was talking about. The tough guy who cried.

"He said...he said it didn't matter. I told him 'But dude, you're crying. It's not nothing.' He told me he'd tell someone - but only one. I'll talk to him at school, see if he's okay."

The ocean waves crashed down once more then became quite still.

"To think. This happened because of words." I said.

"Yeah."

_Words can cut deep, Kim. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise._

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**I hope that made someone out there think.**

**I know the first part doesn't tie in properly but it's based on a true fact we all know.**

_**#ProjectBeautiful.**_


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